🎯 Chapter 33: Strategic Planning and Execution
Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat.
Reflection Series
By Lewis Brent Parker Jr.
When you’ve lived through chaos, there’s a certain power in finally creating order, especially if that order serves something bigger than yourself. In Chapter 33: Strategic Planning and Execution, Colin Campbell hands us the blueprint for transforming reactive energy into intentional outcomes. And not just on paper, but in rhythm, in meetings, and in every heartbeat of a team that dares to build something enduring.
This chapter reminded me that the difference between noise and signal, between burnout and breakthrough, is often found in a simple ritual: pause, plan, execute, reflect. But it’s not just about spreadsheets or KPIs. It’s about clarity in chaos, consistency over charisma, and accountability that scales. This is the entrepreneur’s version of meditation. Not emptying the mind, but filling it with only what matters next.
🧠 Key Lessons from Chapter 33
(Campbell, 2023, pp. 273–279)
Campbell emphasizes that quarterly strategic planning cycles create sustainable momentum. Each 90-day sprint should be preceded by intentional planning phases: 12–14 days of cycle planning, 2 days of cycle alignment, and 90 days of execution. It’s not a one-time event; it’s a cadence that sharpens teams.
When building out team sessions, the focus isn’t just on goals; it’s on aligning every person to the metrics, roles, and strategic roadmap that matters. The best planning isn’t democratic; it’s directional.
Strategy isn’t just about choosing what to pursue; it’s about courageously identifying what to eliminate. Campbell introduces a powerful 2x2 matrix to filter projects: High Impact vs. Effort, and Likelihood to Win. This makes room for “cheap winning moves” while avoiding “expensive losing moves.”
Campbell’s team reviews goals, KPIs, and OKRs every 90 days, and even creates visual storyboards to keep strategy top of mind. The repetition isn’t tedious; it’s tactical. It teaches alignment through familiarity.
“When first starting,” Campbell says, “everything sucks.” The way forward is through clarity: mission, values, and the ruthless prioritization of what moves the needle. The planning process gives every player a role and purpose in that clarity.
💡 Final Takeaway
Without execution rhythms, vision dies in meetings. But with a strategic planning process that honors cadence, constraints, and courage, you don’t just scale a business. You scale belief. This chapter isn’t about building a perfect plan; it’s about building teams that know how to plan, adapt, and win together.
🔁 Coming Next
In Chapter 34, we’ll explore how to build a system to measure what matters, and why metrics without mission are just math. Stay tuned as we continue to turn execution into evolution.
💬 Share This With a Founder Who’s Drowning in “Busy”
Know someone who’s stuck firefighting instead of forward planning? Share this chapter recap with them. Strategic rhythm is the lifeline they didn’t know they needed.
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📚 References (APA Style)
Campbell, C. (2023). Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat. [Chapter 33: Strategic Planning and Execution, pp. 273–279]. Hay House.